Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-04-22
PILING UP THE PROTESTS.
THE RAILWAY MEN CONTINUE TO
WORRY THE COMMISSION.

and Are Sure That Fourth Section |
Means Ruin-Some Professors the |
Other side-A Heavy Rate for Wool |
Senator Germans Remarks.
WASHINGTON CITY, April 22.-The first |
petition presented to the interstate COM |
merce commission Thursday from the |
Southern Pacific railway, which complained |
that the new law placed the road at the |
mercy of the Pacific Mail Steamship com
pany, which could carry freight to the Pa
cific coast cheaper than the railway, unless
the railways were permitted to make a cheap
through rate. This necessitated tine suspen-
sion of the fourth section of the law. Sew
eral gentleman made arguments before the
commission in behalf of the railway, and
they were sharply croas-examned by Il. N,
Taft representing the steamship line and
ex-senator Van Wyck.
The Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe, and the
St Louis & San Francesca railways each
had representatives present with petitions of
a similar character to that of the South
ern Pacific.
Then came Col George Gray attorney for
the Northern Pacific company, who present
III petition of his road in which it is stated
that carrier by railroad eau not compete
successfully with carrier by water tor any
considerable period, or.the reason that rates
which would he remunerative to the latter
would entail loss upon the former;
that the Canadian Pacific rail-
road, subject only to the laws of
Canada and unrestricted by the Interstate
commerce law, can aud has pat its rates so
low that it has deprived the Northern Pa
cltc railroad 0f by far the greater part of its
tranS-contuenl.i bus it.,s-. the Irstltinn CON
clales by asking that the fourth section of~-
the bill los suspended. Col. Gray explained
the petition nj isngth, and said the desder
alum was noi 50 Giur! constituting tho fourth
section IN favor of t'ie railroads as modify
ing it the intnrest of tine American people;
for the result would inevitably he the de-
struction of American industries and the
transfer OF traus-coutlnenta! carriage bust
ness to foreign lines, or building up water
carriage business to bs carried in foreign
bottoms. In answer To question by Com
missioner s-choonmakar Col. Gray said 1t
was necessary t. susrehd the fourth section
for the continued pf sIerity of the road.
Mr. J. ID. Se.rie, who represented the
sugar reiiueries of New York, appeared to
protest against the SUSPENSION Of the long
and short maui clause of the law He pro-
tested against any special rates for Pacific
coast refiners to the Mississippi valley,
which would operate to his clients dissd-
vantage.
All petitions having been filed, Mr. f. N
Taft, on behalf of Sutton Il Co, addressed
the commission at length, saying that if the
fourth section suspended it would simply
be death to the rifnIer carrying trade of the
country; it woull defeat the object sought
to BIZ accomplished 10y the passage of this
bill Let the hill remain Us it is, and its
practical operation between now and the
meeting OF congress would demonstrate
whether it WAS not ON The whole beneficial
If the railroads exc rted The same energy in
carrying out the law that they are using to
secure its suspension, he thought they would
not find such hariships IN 1t as pointed out
in their petitions.
In answer to Commissioner Schoonmaker,
who asked whether, II tie facts set forth
about the Canadian Pacific were correct the
clipper ships would not be in the same posi-
ton, he said he was in favor Of enforcing the
law against tine Pacific ros.is.
Why not let the roads just themselves
t. the new state Of things" asked Commits
sioner Schoonmaker.
Il would enforce the law replied Mr.
Taft
Hang them first" suggested Commits
sioner Schnnnmaker
AT the conclusion of Mr. TaIt's remarks
the commission adjourned
The protests against tine long and short
haul, they say, come from parties who have
heretofore enjoyed the greatest benefits from
cut rates, and who have had an Unfair adj
vantage. For Instance they continue
last year the merchants Of san Francisco
had a rate of 40 cents per 700 on wool, while
dealers and growers locate. several hundred
miles further east had 10 pay - 10 81 d. per
JO0 pounds if that wool was shipped direct t.
the east" There Is wool, they say now IN
Philadelphia, grown az Montana, wilich the
rallrolis FORGET 20 he sent thence via san
Francisco, making a haul Of 1.oiU miles,
while If shipped direct 1t would have trav-
eled only !. M mile The Object + th. dis
elimination was 10 give the san Francisco
merchants III opportunity to exact toll he-
fore it reached It's natural destination.
A communication has been received from
certain farmers of Orange county, New
York, protesting that the rates Of the New
A.
pany for transporting milk to Jersey City
was unreasonable and unjust Similar com
plants are lodged against the New York.
Ontario q Western, the New York, S1,que
hanna n Western, and the Lehigh Valley
and Hudson RIVER roads
Justice, Hateiuan 81 Co. commission msr-
chants, protest as aiHst the suspension of The
fourth section
Senator German, Of Maryland, referring
TO the Interstate commerce. law. declared
Thursday that ali opposition thus far mani
tested comr from tile railroads themselves
Their object said tie sepator, seems to
be t.. make the law an olious one, and thus
compel ITS repeal by congress at its next ses-
sion. But tn railroad people might well
ma Ike up their minds to submit gracefully,
for the Interstate commerce commission has
come to stay. The mere fact of a few rail
road companies opposing the law viii not
influence congress-.